Broody Hen Thread!

[JJSS89]

That Silkie will probably wait until she has a clutch of 5-6 eggs until she begins brooding them. That way they'll be a synchronized hatch.

 

[22lilchickens]

Ok so I took her first egg to check it out so ill just let her keep the eggs she lays until she gets about 6 and see if she goes broody if she doesn't then hopefully my other hen will be broody which I hope she is specially since she was acting different because I threw some corn out in the run as a treat and all of them came running and when I went in the coop I was surprised to see her still in the box and I lifted her up but she's made loud nosies and she didnt have a egg but there was one in the box next to her so I took it and laid it infornt of her chest and she took her beak and moved it under her and laid back down and puffed up

 

[holm25]

Ok so I took her first egg to check it out so ill just let her keep the eggs she lays until she gets about 6 and see if she goes broody if she doesn't then hopefully my other hen will be broody which I hope she is specially since she was acting different because I threw some corn out in the run as a treat and all of them came running and when I went in the coop I was surprised to see her still in the box and I lifted her up but she's made loud nosies and she didnt have a egg but there was one in the box next to her so I took it and laid it infornt of her chest and she took her beak and moved it under her and laid back down and puffed up

Set her on the ground. If she looks like this when on the ground she is broody. This is my 8month orp who went broody.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Thank you very much, @olliegrow and @fisherlady !!


Should I provide regular feed for mommy as well nearby, or will baby try to eat that and choke?

Also, @olliegrow , when you say you can crush up feed... would that be normal lay feed? I'm assuming not but wasn't sure. How important do you think it is to have starter mash?

A chicken waterer like this one should be ok, right? Our is like this but the base is a little more shallow. Still too deep, you think? I will add a few marbles so it's not deep enough to submerge a little beak <3



Thanks again for all your insight!

I agree nice waterer.

x2 that Chick Starter is fine, even best, for both mother and chicks. The chick starter is higher in protein and vitamins/minerals which is important for the growing chicks. It is also important for momma to have this too as she has just endured 21 days (or more) of strict food restriction and also will likely be molting as her hormones shift from brood to care giver (nature's way of cleaning up frumpled momma).

As a previous poster stated, you never want to feed your chicks layer pellet as it is too high in calcium which will cause kidney issues. Also don't feel the need to go too high a protein beyond the normal chick starter (typically 18% to 20%), as really high protein amounts can cause muscular issues with growth to fast for many breeds...ie don't feel you need to use broiler/turkey/game feed unless you are raising broilers, turkey or games.

If you need to keep momma and chicks together with the flock, then many feed an all flock crumble. Pellet will be too hard for the chicks to eat unless you add water for mash. You would need to set out oyster shell or calcium grit so that the layers can get the amount of calcium they need for laying eggs. Don't worry as the chicks won't eat it since they won't crave the calcium.

Medicated chick feed (Amprolium based), for a short term, is fine for grown chickens, and you could decide to feed that to your whole flock, again adding calcium grit/oyster shell for the layers. It won't hurt them, it will merely knock down any potential overgrowth of coccidia (a protozoa that lives in nearly all soil), and sometimes that is a good thing (see comments below). You simply don't want to feed it to the all the time for reasons given below. It is debatable whether or not it gets into the eggs...many of us have eaten eggs that chickens have laid after eating medicated chick feed. Understandably though, many prefer not to eat eggs that could potentially be tainted with the drug, and Amprolium is not cleared by the FDA for laying hens. Thus there is the argument for keeping momma and babies separate from the flock if you do have a need to feed medicated chick starter.

As Fisherlady stated, to medicate or not is a very personal choice and each flock owner should consider carefully what is best for their conditions.

Whether to medicate or not depends not only on your livestock philosophy, but also a lot on your environmental conditions that contribute to growth of coccidia in the soil: natural presence of the protozoa, the right growth conditions (usually warm, moist), right type of soil, and a general build up of feces in the soil especially on established farms (but some have had severe issues with soil that has never had chickens on it before.)

I personally have never had much issue with coccidia to date, except for a brief scare with feed store fosters. All of my naturally hatched chicks were fine on non-medicated, having gotten a slow introduction through momma (her feces is ever present, and that's okay) in the broody hutch, and then in the broody run at about 2 weeks of age. However feed store chicks, and any new bird brought in, were not raised on my premises, and may be sensitive to the strain of coccidia in my soil, hince the scare with one batch of sensitive fosters. Because I had a brief scare in the broody hutch, and coccida have a build up factor (which you do NOT want to get behind), I have chosen to start all chicks on medicated feed for the first couple of weeks, and then transition to plain chick starter. I have had hatchlings develop vitamin deficiency symptoms (weird walking on toes) when placed on medicated feed when they didn't need it. But I watch closely and am willing to use what is necessary to prevent an outbreak. At some point, I may ease back if I feel my conditions are good.

Some natural things to help build general intestinal immunity are Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) in the water (raw, unfiltered, with mother...non metal container), plenty of probiotics either in Chick Saver or yogurt (fresh, non-sweetened), and garlic added to the mash.

The point of medicated feed is to give the chicks time to let their bodies build immunity to the coccida protozoa. The medicated chick feed contains Amprolium which inhibits the metabolism of B Vitamins by the protozoa that have entered the intestinal tract of the bird, starving them to death, and thus allowing the bird to shed them through feces. However, the goal is to not completely eradicate the protozoa, as they are ever present in the soil, and thus always something being encountered. Thus the ideal is to allow the chick/bird time to build a natural immunity to a reasonable load in the natural soil.

The trick is not too much exposure to the protozoa such that there is a sudden overgrowth causing the devastating disease of coccidiosis, which is basically chicken dysentery. Coccidiosis in chicks can quickly bleed out a chick through diarrhea from bowel lesions. The first symptom is typically rumpled appearance with dropped wings. By the time you see blood in the poo, it is already an advanced case, and often the chick is not eating or drinking well, making treatment very difficult. You can lose a lot chicks very quickly from coccidiosis.

Further to note, each overgrowth loads the soil up with more protozoa, which being busy protozoa, give rise to more protozoa, so it is essential to keep your load down through clean litter and good soil conditions. Keep soil turned and fresh, and do not allow marshy spots to settle by the *ETA feed and water areas* and avoid any outbreaks. Also keep feed and water feeders clean.

Just some more information to add to the discussion.

Good luck with your new little flock.
Lady of McCamley

 

[Sage Hill Farm]

Thank you very much for your detailed info, @Lady of McCamley!

 

[n3kms]

I agree nice waterer.

x2 that Chick Starter is fine, even best, for both mother and chicks. The chick starter is higher in protein and vitamins/minerals which is important for the growing chicks. It is  also important for momma to have this too as she has just endured 21 days (or more) of strict food restriction and also will likely be molting as her hormones shift from brood to care giver (nature's way of cleaning up frumpled momma).

As a previous poster stated, you never want to feed your chicks layer pellet as it is too high in calcium which will cause kidney issues. Also don't feel the need to go too high a protein beyond the normal chick starter (typically 18% to 20%), as really high protein amounts can cause muscular issues with growth to fast for many breeds...ie don't feel you need to use broiler/turkey/game feed unless you are raising broilers, turkey or games.

If you need to keep momma and chicks together with the flock, then many feed an all flock crumble. Pellet will be too hard for the chicks to eat unless you add water for mash. You would need to set out oyster shell or calcium grit so that the layers can get the amount of calcium they need for laying eggs. Don't worry as the chicks won't eat it since they won't crave the calcium.

Medicated chick feed (Amprolium based), for a short term, is fine for grown chickens, and you could decide to feed that to your whole flock, again adding calcium grit/oyster shell for the layers. It won't hurt them, it will merely knock down any potential overgrowth of coccidia (a protozoa that lives in nearly all soil), and sometimes that is a good thing (see comments below). You simply don't want to feed it to the all the time for reasons given below. It is debatable whether or not it gets into the eggs...many of us have eaten eggs that chickens have laid after eating medicated chick feed. Understandably though, many prefer not to eat eggs that could potentially be tainted with the drug, and Amprolium is not cleared by the FDA for laying hens. Thus there is the argument for keeping momma and babies separate from the flock if you do have a need to feed medicated chick starter.

As Fisherlady stated, to medicate or not is a very personal choice and each flock owner should consider carefully what is best for their conditions.

Whether to medicate or not depends not only on your livestock philosophy, but also a lot on your environmental conditions that contribute to growth of coccidia in the soil: natural presence of the protozoa, the right growth conditions (usually warm, moist), right type of soil, and a general build up of feces in the soil especially on established farms (but some have had severe issues with soil that has never had chickens on it before.)

I personally have never had much issue with coccidia to date, except for a brief scare with feed store fosters. All of my naturally hatched chicks were fine on non-medicated, having gotten a slow introduction through momma (her feces is ever present, and that's okay) in the broody hutch, and then in the broody run at about 2 weeks of age. However feed store chicks, and any new bird brought in, were not raised on my premises, and may be sensitive to the strain of coccidia in my soil, hince the scare with one batch of sensitive fosters. Because I had a brief scare in the broody hutch, and coccida have a build up factor (which you do NOT want to get behind), I have chosen to start all chicks on medicated feed for the first couple of weeks, and then transition to plain chick starter. I have had hatchlings develop vitamin deficiency symptoms (weird walking on toes) when placed on medicated feed when they didn't need it. But I watch closely and am willing to use what is necessary to prevent an outbreak. At some point, I may ease back if I feel my conditions are good.

Some natural things to help build general intestinal immunity are Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) in the water (raw, unfiltered, with mother...non metal container), plenty of probiotics either in Chick Saver or yogurt (fresh, non-sweetened), and garlic added to the mash.

The point of medicated feed is to give the chicks time to let their bodies build immunity to the coccida protozoa. The medicated chick feed contains Amprolium which inhibits the metabolism of B Vitamins by the protozoa that have entered the intestinal tract of the bird, starving them to death, and thus allowing the bird to shed them through feces. However, the goal is to not completely eradicate the protozoa, as they are ever present in the soil, and thus always something being encountered. Thus the ideal is to allow the chick/bird time to build a natural immunity to a reasonable load in the natural soil. 

The trick is not too much exposure to the protozoa such that there is a sudden overgrowth causing the devastating disease of coccidiosis, which is basically chicken dysentery. Coccidiosis in chicks can quickly bleed out a chick through diarrhea from bowel lesions. The first symptom is typically rumpled appearance with dropped wings. By the time you see blood in the poo, it is already an advanced case, and often the chick is not eating or drinking well, making treatment very difficult. You can lose a lot chicks very quickly from coccidiosis.

Further to note, each overgrowth loads the soil up with more protozoa, which being busy protozoa, give rise to more protozoa, so it is essential to keep your load down through clean litter and good soil conditions. Keep soil turned and fresh, and do not allow marshy spots to settle by the *ETA feed and water areas* and avoid any outbreaks. Also keep feed and water feeders clean.

Just some more information to add to the discussion.

Good luck with your new little flock.
Lady of McCamley

I appreciate that very thorough explanation too. Helps me decide how I want to add my new chicks , when they get old enough, to the original flock. Wasn't as big of an issue with my original flock.

 

[LogCabinChicks]

I'm so happy for you. Congratulations.

If postal shipped eggs, be sure to let them sit for a good 24 to 48 hours so that the air cells reattach. You'll need to tip the carton on different corners 2 to 3 times each day. Keep at cool room temperature....about 60 degrees. Warm to ambient room temperature, about 70 degrees for setting.

You can check the air cells by candling with flashlight. Roll the egg as you candle. If you see a "bubble dime" roll as you roll the egg, like on a carpenter's level, the air cell has detached.

Only set eggs that look whole, well shelled, and have attached air cell.

Good luck! Keep us posted.
LofMc

Thank you again for this!!! I wasn't sure I knew what I was looking for..until I saw the "dime" only 1 egg had the air cell detached. And 1 had a crack -- the shipper sent two extra in a dozen so I still have a dozen to attempt to hatch. Thank you for sharing your knowledge! Looking for a hatch around April fools day!

 

[Pure Poultry]

Well my RIR hen has been let out of the pen with her chick and back into the flock. The chick is 7 weeks old and seems to be doing fine. Mother hen though won't leave the side of the cage for more than a couple of minutes at a time. Is this a bad thing for the hen or the chick?

 

[Pure Poultry]

That sounds confusing. The mother hen is let out with the rest of the flock. The chick is still in the pen

 

[aart]

That sounds confusing. The mother hen is let out with the rest of the flock. The chick is still in the pen

Let the chick out with it's momma, she'll help integrate the chick into the flock.